STEUBEN COUNTY, Ind. — Tickets have been released for the Fall Color Trains, scheduled to operate in Northeast Indiana and Southeast Michigan this October. Nickel Plate Road steam locomotive No. 765 of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society will serve as the main motive power for these all-day, round-trip excursions on the Indiana Northeastern Railroad […]
Zone & Region: Midwest
Gleaming SD9 reminds us of Nickel Plate Road’s big switch
Just when you think recent progress in railroad preservation can’t get any better — I’m thinking here of everything from Big Boy to Reading & Northern 2102 to Silvis Shops to Michigan Central Station — along comes another milestone that, if not quite a blockbuster, is still remarkable. Especially if you’re interested in diesel […]
Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum BL2 nears operation (with video)
NORTH JUDSON, Ind. — After two years of restoration work using an all-volunteer labor force, the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson is close to beginning operations with one of its two former Bangor & Aroostook Railroad BL2s. BL2s No. 52 and No. 56 came to the museum in June of 2021 after private […]
Steam locomotive No. 765 plays host to young campers
PLEASANT LAKE, Ind. — Nickel Plate Road No. 765 was under steam July 13-15 as the centerpiece of the first Indiana Railcamp in Pleasant Lake. Organized by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society under the Indiana Rail Experience banner, this pilot program hosted 20 campers — ranging between ages 13 and 17 — from the […]
LPG cars involved, but no leaks reported, in CN derailment in Minnesota
FIELD TOWNSHIP, Minn. — Two carloads of liquefied petroleum gas were among those involved in a derailment of nine cars of a Canadian National train in rural northern Minnesota on Monday, July 17, according to a press release from the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. As reported by KRFO radio, the derailment occurred about 8:20 […]
Metra launches survey on new fare proposal
CHICAGO — Commuter rail operator Metra has launched a survey on proposed fare changes for 2024 that would reduce the number of fare zones from 10 to four and change some of the fare options available. Metra also announced plans for information tables at its four primary downtown stations to provide information and answer questions […]
‘Significant progress’ reported in Kansas City streetcar repairs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — RideKC, operator of the Kansas City streetcar, reports “significant progress” in repairs to track damage that has shut down the system since July 4, and anticipates providing information on the return of service later this week. A Sunday update reported that weekend work on the Main Street bridge across Interstate 670 […]
Boarding the Flambeau 400
Travelers board Chicago & North Western train 153, the Flambeau 400 from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Chicago, at Milwaukee on June 2, 1951. Wallace W. Abbey photo […]
Troubleshooting a diesel locomotive
In 1981, I was a locomotive engineer for the Chicago & North Western Railway based out of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and operating an interdivisional run to Sioux City, Iowa. I made this run many times, but one trip taught me a lesson about troubleshooting a diesel locomotive — and about railroading. Most of the trains […]
Shay-It-Forward and the Silver Creek & Stephenson Charter
On June 25th, 2023, Trains Magazine sponsored their first photo special of the year at the Silver Creek and Stephenson Railroad in Freeport, Illinois. The event was timed to coincide with the Jim Wrinn Memorial Shay-It-Forward event at the Illinois Railway Museum. Let’s take a look at the weekend! […]
Worker killed at Chicago-area CSX intermodal facility
BEDFORD PARK, Ill. — A contract worker was killed Saturday morning in an accident at the CSX Transportation intermodal facility at Bedford Park, the Chicago Tribune reports. Jacory Ceaser, 24, of Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood, was killed about 12:30 a.m. when crushed between two intermodal chassis, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. The death […]
Spaces to Places IV | Detailing the Streets, part 5
The town of Westcott on this HO scale model railroad is approaching completion! But not before host Gerry Leone shares his insights for adding subtle, but very effective weathering effects to the roadways. Follow along to learn how to fade stripes, draw cracks, create potholes, install manhole covers, and much more! Want to see more […]